Spark intensifier for spark plugs



March 1934. H. E. NEWKIRK SPARK INTENSIFIER FOR SPARK PLUGS Filed May 9, 1933 on M, m W a d H 9%?7 4. 5 0M 5a 7% WV J 5 w 5mEEEEEEEEFEWEEfi l 5 1 z W 3 u 3 w a z fl w fl llvi m m M w fiMV/JY. A A A A M M W Patented Mar. 20, 1934 SPARK INTENSIFIER FOR SPARK PLUGS Harry E. Newkirk, Pensacola, Fla.

Application May 9, 1933, Serial No. 670,164 5 Claims. (01. 123-148) This invention relates to devices for intensifying the spark of a spark-plug and particularly to those intensifiers so constructed as to provide a gap across which the spark must jump, thus causing an intensification of the spark in order to jump the gap.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an intensifier or" this character which includes a body adapted to be disposed upon the central threaded terminal of the spark plug and formed for engagement by the usual conductor terminal, the body being formed with a passage, one end or which is adapted to come into coactive relation with the usual nut or washer on the spark plug terminal and the other end of which is brought into coactive relation with the conductor terminal.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is adapted to be used either with fork like terminals which are adapted to embrace the threaded terminal of the spark plug or which are in the form 01' caps to engage over the upper portion of the spark plug terminal.

A further object is to provide a spark intensifier formed of one piece of insulating material, the body being so formed as to take any standard snap-on or push-on terminals and being entirely void of metal screws, nuts or washers and further which will provide for an enclosed spark gap, ensuringsafe operation, and a further object is to construct the intensifier that no auxiliary points are used for obtaining the necessary short circuit but so constructed that the spark jumps from the terminal direct through a passage to a nut or Washer on the spark plug central terminal or so designed that the spark is conducted from a spring stud terminal to a conducting pin and then jumps directly from this pin through a passage directly to the nut or washer.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:--

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spark plug of ordinary type with my device applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 4;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Figures 2 and 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views showing a modified form of intensifier, Figure 6 being taken at right angles to the plane of Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 4, 10 designates a body of insulating material having a longitudinally extending passage 11 through it for the reception of the threaded terminal a of the spark plug A. Preferably this passage 11 will be screwthreaded for engagement with this terminal. This body 10 at the upper endis formed with a head 12 and below this head with a contracted neck 13 and below this neck with a globular portion 14. The under face of the intensifier is fiat and adapted to rest against the usual metallic nut or washer b of the spark plug A. The globular portion 14 is formed with a circumferentially extending slot 15 disposed in a plane at right angles to the passage 11. This slot, as shown in Figure 3, is intersected by a longitudinally extending passage 16 which at one end opens upon this slot 15 and at the other end opens against the face of the nut or washer b. The slot 15 permits the usual forked conductor terminal to be inserted into this slot and embrace the central portion of the body. This terminal will, therefore, come immediately above the passage 16 so that the current from the conductor will have to jump directly downward through the passage 16 to the washeror nut b and so to the central electrode or terminal a on the spark plug. In order to provide for the use of this device with a spring stud terminal, I provide, as shown in Figure 2, for a passage 17 extending downward from the slot 15, this passage being in quartering relation to the passage 16 and provide a pin 18 either molded into the body 10 or inserted in a hole therein, this pin extending downward from the upper portion of the globular part 14 through the slot 15 and into the entrance of the passage 1'7. I

. When an ordinary spring stud terminal is used fitting over the head 12 of the body, it will come in contact with the pin 18 and thus conduct electric current to the entrance to passage 17 and the current will then jump through this passage to the washer or nut 12 and so to the central terminal of the spark plug.

In Figures 5 and 6, I show an intensifier particularly adapted for the use with spark plugs in airplane engines and having approximately the same construction as the intensifier shown in Figures 1 and 2 except that the head 12 is omitted with the neck 13. There is provided, however, a globular body and passages through this body are the same as the passages shown in Figures 2 and 3 and the same reference numerals are used, the body, however, being designated 10a. It will be seen that I have provided a spark intensifier constructed practically of one piece of 15 for receiving the thrust type terminal.

material and only including in addition the one small conducting pin 18, that this body is adapted to fit upon and preferably thread on the usual spark plug central screw or terminal, that the intensifier will take any standard snap-on, hookon or push-on terminal, that it is so constructed as to eliminate the necessity of using tools for putting in place, and that there are no metal screws, nuts, washers or other parts (except the pin 15) in the structure.

It will be seen that this device provides a structure wherein the spark jumps directly from the terminal through the passage 16 of the nut or washer or that the spark will jump from the extremity of the pin 18 directly through passage 17 to the nut or washer. I thus provide for a perfectly natural spark gap which is entirely permanent and further provide for a spark gap which is enclosed so as to insure safety, thus making it particularly desirable for use with airplane engines or under like circumstances.

The structure shown in Figures 5 and 6 is designed for the standard aviation type terminal clip which is the thrust on type with an additional spring locking plate riveted on top of standard thrust clip so that when the thrust type is pushed in slot 15, this top plate rides over the top of the plug, rests around the slightly protuberant portion at the end of the plug, thereby making a double locking terminal which is necessary under hazardous conditions. By making the body globular as at 14 in Figure 2 and 14 in Figure 5, I secure the advantage of a stronger body with more of a surface the slot The main feature of my invention resides in the one piece construction of this intensifier with natural spark gap channels or passages.

While I have shown one particular form for this intensifier, obviously the form might be 1 upon the lower face of the body and a circumferential slot in the body into which this passage opens, this slot being adapted to receive the terminal end of a conductor.

2. A spark intensifier for spark plugs formed of a body of insulating material formed for engagement with the terminal end of a conductor, the body having a central screw-threaded passage to engage the threaded central terminal of a spark plug, and having a flat, lower end to rest upon a spark plug nut or washer, the body having a passage therein opening at one end upon the lower face of the body, the body having a circumferential slot spaced from the bottom of the body into which the passage opens, the slot being adapted to receive the terminal end of the conductor.

3. A spark intensifier for spark plugs formed .of a body of insulating material having a central passage for receiving the threaded central terminal of a spark plug, the lower end of the body being flat to rest upon the usual nut or washer, the body having a circumferentially extending slot adapted to receive a conductor terminal and having a passage extending from said slot downward to the lower face of the body, and a metallic pin extending downward through the body and into said passage, the upper end of the body being formed for engagement with a spring stud terminal, the upper end of the pin being adapted to be engaged by said terminal.

4. A spark intensifier for spark plug formed of a body of insulating material, the central portion of the body being circumferentially slotted, the upper end of the body being formed to receive a spring stud type terminal, the circumferential slot being adapted to receive a forked terminal, the lower end of the body being flat to rest against the usual nut or washer, the center of the body having a screw-threaded passage to engage the screw-threaded central terminal of the spark plug, the body having a passage extending from the fiat'bottom of the body upward to and intersecting said circumferential slot, and another passage spaced from the first named passage and extending from the'bottom of the body to and intersecting said slot, and a metallic pin extending downward through said body and exposed at its upper end upon the surface of the body and at its lower end extending into the upper end of said last named passage.

5. A spark intensifier for spark plugs formed of a body of insulating material, the body having a central screw-threaded passage to engage the threaded central-terminal of a spark plug, there being a passage extending longitudinally of the body opening upon the lower face of the body and there being a circumferentially extending slot in the body into which this passage opens, the slot being adapted to receive the terminal end of a conductor, the upper portion of the body being formed to receive the spring locking device of a snap-on terminal.

HARRY E. NEWKIRK. 

